Keep Out The Cold, Stave Off The Nightmares
by Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare
Summary: When Loki gets cold at night, he sleeps in Thor's bed. When Thor has bad dreams, he sleeps in Loki's. .:. Child!Thorki. Harmless fluff and snuggles.
1. Cold

**A/N: Linked to my fic, 'Emotional Juxtaposition.' Please read it before or after this fic, please. Both can stand on their own, technically, but this one was based off of what I mentioned in my other one.**

**Dedicated to Cordelia Darcy.**

* * *

The Cold.

* * *

"Thor?" a young choice slips into his dreams, and he stirs, but only slightly. Cold, thin fingers touch his bare shoulder, and he inhales sharply, jarring awake. "Thor, I'm sorry. May I?"

The golden boy nods sleepily, humming, "Mm-hmm," to his younger brother, rolling over to make more room in his bed.

They are children. If they have nightmares, they would normally go to their parents. But neither of them saw the point in that when they had a brother instead. They used to share a room, and before that, a bed. But as they grew, they no longer needed that, their father said. They had to learn to be on their own.

But then, there are nights when this happens – and those nights are at least once every two weeks – and neither of them say a word about it. Loki is young; so is Thor. They have not yet touched the brink of puberty. Their voices are still high, soft, like a girl's. Loki is scrawny. Thor isn't much larger.

"You are like ice, Brother," Thor remarks quietly as Loki snuggles up behind him, seeking heat. Thor shivers, goosebumps rising on his skin. "Did you leave your window open to let in a draft?"

"No. It happens like this, sometimes," Loki murmurs into the back of Thor's neck, into his hair. He appreciates how his breath comes back warm, hitting him in the face. "I get so cold. I don't know why. I keep my window closed, I promise. I don't know why I become so chilled, but it doesn't matter. I have you to keep me warm, like a sun in the nighttime."

Thor smiles, yawning, eyes too tired to lift open. "The things you say, Loki. I don't know if I always understand." He huffs a sleepy laugh and shifts, rolling onto his other side, until he can face his paler, darker-haired sibling. He opens his eyes then, smiling, and touches their foreheads together. He takes his brother's hands in his and cups them, bringing them before his mouth to breathe hot air onto the chilly digits. He rubs them. "Better?"

Loki nods quietly, his face unreadable in the dim light. But he seems content, relaxed. "Thank you."

"Any time you need me, I will be here for you," Thor reminds quietly. He keeps his brother's hands in his as he closes his eyes and drifts off nearly to sleep, one foot in the door to unconsciousness. "G'night," he mumbles, barely intelligible.

Loki smiles and allows his own heavy eyelids to slip shut. He yawns and drops his smile as he, too, succumbs to sleep, finally warmed.


	2. Nightmare

The Nightmares.

* * *

"Loki?" a rumbling voice, raspy from sleep, drifts into his dreams, and he yawns and hums, barely coming to consciousness. A warm hand touches his shivering shoulder, and he jerks awake, sitting up. The hand rubs circles on his back. "Shh, it's all right. It's only me, Brother. I can't sleep. I… I had an awful dream."

Loki nods tiredly and looks to Thor in the low lighting. He is sweaty around his hairline and his eyes are baggy and wide. It must have been some nightmare. Loki wonders if Thor woke up shouting. He wonders if anyone would hear him if he had, considering the size of their home.

"Climb in, then," the younger replies, lifting the sheets and scooting over a few places, leaving a broad enough gap for the other. "You shan't have another nightmare if I'm here. I will keep them from you with my magic."

Thor smiles lazily, dimples showing. He slides into bed and curls up around Loki's back. "Thank you, Brother. I trusted you would. Oh," he adds, arms stilling over Loki's heart, above his nightgown. "You are so cold again. It's a good thing I came to you. I can warm you while you keep my nightmares at bay. A fair trade."

Loki chuckles quietly at that. "A fair trade," the boy agrees as he places his arm over Thor's and closes his eyes. He relishes the warmth, the security. He can tell by the way Thor is already falling asleep, despite how wide awake he appeared, that he is relishing in the same comforts.

But he isn't asleep quite yet, because he murmurs into Loki's hair, "Will you always protect me, Brother?"

"Of course I shall," Loki frowns. "What a dumb question, Thor. And I know you will always protect me. Mother said it was your duty to."

Thor makes a grunt akin to a curt laugh and then, very quickly, the golden boy is deeply asleep, snoring soundly.

Loki smiles to himself and wiggles down a bit and turns in Thor's arms until he fits the top of his head below Thor's chin, and he can feel the steady beating of Thor's heart against his the tip of his nose. He is half buried in the covers, now, but it hardly matters. He is warm, and he sends only pleasant images to Thor's mind to keep his dreams from straying into the frightening things he must have seen before.

Yes, a very fair trade, indeed.


End file.
